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brookepalmer796's review
2.0
Ugh, I love Nancy Farmer books, but I didn't love this one. I got off on the wrong foot with this one because it was in the YA section of the library. I expected it to be for a more mature audience, but it turned out to be 10yr olds. I kept waiting for the story to begin and it just didn't. Also, the detectives really bugged me. I'm not sure if they were supposed to be funny or endearing, but the came across as clumsy fools.
lmwanak's review against another edition
4.0
Read it to my 8 year old son. He got a kick out the robots and flying cars, and he loved Tendai and Rita's use of "Booboohead". He enjoyed the story and caught on quickly to the fact that the detectives were always one step behind the children. He was a bit bored during the detective scenes, but he warmed up to them after they visited RestHaven. Overall, he had a wonderful time with this book. On my part, rereading it again was fun.
ljackman's review against another edition
5.0
This story is sentimental for me. Brings back memories of listening to the audio version on a beat up CD player whilst sweating in 95 degree heat raking gravel or cutting down thistles for my Dad during the summer months in middle school.
I remember dragging my feet so I could listen to the adventures of the 3 spoiled children trying to escape the She-Elephant and the hijinks of the 3 bumbling but charming and very special detectives.
I remember dragging my feet so I could listen to the adventures of the 3 spoiled children trying to escape the She-Elephant and the hijinks of the 3 bumbling but charming and very special detectives.
pizzamcpin3ppl3's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
katrinadalythompson's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed reading this because I recognized some of the places and aspects of Zimbabwean (Shona-centric) culture. The story was pretty engaging.
himissjulie's review against another edition
5.0
What an odd little book. Again, sci-fi set in the not too distant future. Almost like a more gentle Harlan Ellison.
(I'm not gonna give you a synopsis, that's what amazon.com is for!)
(I'm not gonna give you a synopsis, that's what amazon.com is for!)
bearteddington's review against another edition
4.0
Read for black history month 2018!
I read this back in middle school and still love it. It’s charming and goofy but has a lot of heart and I love reading about the relationship between the technology and the spiritualism and traditional lives in Zimbabwe ~100 years from now
The characters are all precious and even the Bad Eggs get nuance and depth while the good friends are flawed; honestly this is just a gr8 book
Would not rec the kindle version tho; too many formatting issues (literally missing margins so the text goes off the screen in places) that the book doesn’t deserve to have but it’s fine
I read this back in middle school and still love it. It’s charming and goofy but has a lot of heart and I love reading about the relationship between the technology and the spiritualism and traditional lives in Zimbabwe ~100 years from now
The characters are all precious and even the Bad Eggs get nuance and depth while the good friends are flawed; honestly this is just a gr8 book
Would not rec the kindle version tho; too many formatting issues (literally missing margins so the text goes off the screen in places) that the book doesn’t deserve to have but it’s fine
hannahlee's review against another edition
3.0
I had no idea what to expect from this novel, but I really enjoyed it! The story was engaging, especially in how it alternated between two different points of view, the three children and the three detectives. While some of the robot-trappings were a bit distracting and the resolution was somewhat simple after all the convoluted plot to that point (it is a children's book, after all), a novel set in future Africa that was written by a white lady in the 90s is pretty impressive as a concept, and it seemed executed with at least baseline understanding of and respect for the culture. A fun and enjoyable read.
lirael's review against another edition
5.0
Zimbabwe. 2194. General Matsika's three kids have been kidnapped by two men and a talking blue monkey. It's up to the Ear, the Eye, and the Arm to find them. They track the kids from a local market, to a toxic waste dump, to a traditional village, to the subway, to an English woman's cottage, to a mile-high hotel, and finally to the lair of the Masks, who are the only remaining gang in the country--as well as the most ruthless.
jenamac's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0